Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of nutritious fruits, vegetables, and protein is necessary for living a healthy lifestyle. If your body is lacking any essential vitamin, your body will let you know with a series of uncomfortable symptoms. Recognizing the tell-tale signs of a vitamin deficiency is the first step to addressing the problem. This article aims to show you what symptoms are commonly experienced by people suffering from vitamin deficiency.
1. Weak nails and hair
There are a number of different factors that contribute to brittle hair and nails. One of the most common causes is a lack of biotin, also known as vitamin B7, which helps the body turn food into energy. Prolonged use of certain medicines can lead to a deficiency in vitamin B7.
2. Cracks in the corner of your mouth
Lesions in or around the mouth can be an indicator of a lack of vitamins. People suffering from ulcers have twice the likelihood of having iron, and vitamins B1 and B2 deficiencies. If you suffer from mouth ulcers or have mysterious marks around your mouth, try adding more green vegetables and poultry to your diet.
3. Bleeding gums
Those whose diets that hardly consist of fresh vegetables and fruits will experience a deficiency in vitamin C, leading to a weakening of the gums and immune system. The most extreme symptoms include scurvy and even tooth loss.
4. Poor vision at night
A lack of vitamin A will lead to growths around the whites of the eye which hampers night vision. This condition can be solved by incorporating more vitamin A-rich foods such as fish oils and liver into your diet.
5. Dandruff
A lack of vitamins B2, B3, and B6 can develop dry, scaly patches on the head, eyebrows, eyelids, chest, and ears. The link between the lack of the aforementioned vitamins and these symptoms are currently unknown, but adding more of these vitamins to your daily intake can help cure them.
6. Hair loss
Vitamins B3 and B7 are needed to help develop a full head of hair. A deficiency of any of these vitamins can cause hair to become brittle and fall out easily. In only extreme cases of deficiency are supplements ever prescribed.
7. Red and/or white bumps all over your skin
Keratosis pilaris is a condition where the skin will develop red or white bumps. An inadequate amount of vitamins A and C can exacerbate the condition, so in order to prevent this, add more eggs, fish, and yellow-colored fruits and vegetables to your diet.
8. Willis-Ekbom disease
Willis-Ekbom disease is a condition where the patient will experience an uncomfortable sensation in the legs, causing an irresistible desire to keep them moving. This is mainly caused by a lack of iron in the body, but insufficient vitamin C intake can also contribute to the disease.
9. High blood pressure
High blood pressure can be caused by a lack of vitamin D. Adults need around 600 international units of the vitamin on a daily basis. Good sources of vitamin D include salmon, tuna, beef liver, and egg yolks.
10. Low blood pressure
A lack of vitamin D causes high blood pressure, but a vitamin B12 deficiency leads to the opposite direction. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause muscle weakness and a lack of bladder control. If you suffer from low blood pressure due to a vitamin B12 deficiency, increase your intake of beef, milk, and eggs.
11. Excessive sweating
Sweating more than normal can be a sign that your body is begging for vitamin D. Even the most mundane, non-physical tasks like sitting in front of a computer can cause little sweat droplets to appear around your forehead.
12. Fatigue
Extreme sleepiness throughout the day, despite having more than 8 hours of sleep every night, can be an indicator that your body is lacking proper vitamin B12 levels. Your blood cells won’t carry as much oxygen to your body, and you will feel sleepy as a result.
13. Brittle bones
We stop developing muscle mass at around 30 years old, so it’s important to maintain a healthy intake of both calcium and essential vitamins to keep your bones strong in the later years of life. A vitamin deficiency can jeopardize your bone’s strength, and a light bump against something hard can leave you with a cast.
14. Depression
Vitamin D has its role in giving your brain the feel-good hormones needed to get through even the most challenging tasks. With inadequate vitamin D levels, you’ll suddenly be overwhelmed by even the simplest task.
15. Muscle loss
It’s not just iron that helps in building muscle, but vitamin D also plays a huge role in gains. As your vitamin D levels drop, your muscles will waste away slowly, leaving you confused as to why it takes so much energy to climb a set of stairs.